Tonight, I was talking with a few friends about nicknames. I’ve managed to pick up quite a few of them. The one that people got a kick out of was my nickname from college. The guys in our dorm dubbed me “Porno” or “Porno Rich”. I’m not going to get into how I got the name. If you really want you know, catch me at a con or when I’m hanging out and buy me a drink or five.

Back then, I wasn’t too proud of the name. Now, I can look back and smile. Not just about the name but at all the good memories I have of those days. Granted, it made getting a date a lot harder. Okay, practically impossible. I didn’t get the name to work for me till I went to New Orleans for Mardi Gras followed by Spring Break in Cancun. What can I say, I was a bit of a slow learner.

The other nicknames I’ve had weren’t quite so colorful or fun. They weren’t bestowed like some kind of knighthood or a right of passage. Come to think of it, most of the guys in my dorm had some kind of nickname that set them apart. There was Cujo, Dingo, Manson and a host of others name. Each name was almost a double edged sword. Even though, the nicknames told a little something about you only your friends got the full meaning of it. No matter how you try to explain it to an outsider, it was one of those things you had to be there for.

For all my friends from college, I just want to say thanks. I haven’t forgotten any of you and one day all of you are going to pay. Hehehe, just kidding. I couldn’t have gotten through those years without all of the guys and gals at the College of Mount Saint Vincent who took the time to get to know me. If I had to go back and do it all again, there are a few things I would do differently as long as it didn’t get in the way of the friendships and bonds I formed. And seriously, some of you guys are going to pay. I have a real good memory and some of the stuff that happened around Seton Hall was priceless. A few stories might even wind up in a book some day.